Many biodiversity resources in Indonesia still a mystery, like microbes, only very few of them had been identified like actinomycetes which has a high economic value.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The biotechnological research center of the Indonesian Council of Sciences (LIPI) found hundreds of new microbes in 13 areas in Indonesia like Jambi, Bogor, Purwodadi, Lombok and Kupang.
"In the initial results of our research we identified 6,500 microbes, 30 pct of which may be new ones," researcher of the LIPI biotechnological research center Dr. Puspita Lisdiyanti told a dissemination and workshop under a LIPI research cooperation and a Japaese research institution in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The 10 microbes had been published, including actinomycetes which has a significant function as an antibiotic for human beings, he said.
Actinomycetes, he added, contributed two thirds of antibiotics in the world and the remaining one third is derived from fungi, chemical synthesis and bacteria.
"Many biodiversity resources in Indonesia still a mystery, like microbes, only very few of them had been identified like actinomycetes which has a high economic value," he said.
He said that the high cost and long process prevented almost all the pharmaceutical companies in Indonesia from making their own drugs but only licensed drugs.
(D009) (ANTARA)
(T.SYS/A/H-NG/C/H-YH) 15-06-2011 23:25:18
Editor: Ella Syafputri
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